In this section:
Newsletter: December 2016
In this newsletter
- Message from the Chair
- Message from the Chief Executive
- Dates to watch (including Christmas closing hours)
- New Zealand Resuscitation Council changes to CORE courses
- Radiation Safety Regulations approved
- What we do—standards
- Oral health therapy scope of practice
- Message from the New Zealand Dental & Oral Health Therapists Association
- Message from the New Zealand Dental Hygienists’ Association
- New Zealand Institute of Dental Technologists conference 2016
- Practitioner's corner: the importance of good communication
- NZDA Fellowship award: Dr Michael Bain
- Christmas wishes from the Dental Council
Approved Radiation Safety Regulations exempt oral health practitioners with necessary capabilities from needing a use licence In the May 2016 newsletter the Council advised practitioners of the new Radiation Safety Act 2016 that comes into effect on 7 March 2017.
Approved Radiation Safety Regulations exempt oral health practitioners with necessary capabilities from needing a use licence
In the May 2016 newsletter the Council advised practitioners of the new Radiation Safety Act 2016 that comes into effect on 7 March 2017.
Subsequently, the Council made a submission to the Office of Radiation Safety on the draft Radiation Safety Regulations. The Council supported the proposal that registered health practitioners with the necessary education and training be authorised to use radiation equipment within their scope of practice, without the need for a use licence. The office would rely on responsible health authorities to assure competence for practitioners to handle radiation equipment, within their respective scopes of practice.
The regulations were enacted on 12 December 2016, and will also come into force on 7 March 2017. The regulations can be viewed here.
This means that oral health practitioners registered with a valid practising certificate in the scopes described in the table below do not need to apply for a use licence to be allowed to take X-rays for the specified permitted activities:
|
Scope of Practice |
|
Permitted Activity |
|
General dental practice, endodontic specialist, oral and maxillofacial surgery specialist, oral medicine specialist, oral pathology specialist, oral surgery specialist, orthodontic specialist, paediatric dentistry specialist, periodontic specialist, prosthodontic specialist, public health dentistry specialist, restorative dental specialist |
Use of irradiating apparatus for dental diagnostic purposes |
|
|
Dental therapy practice |
Use of irradiating apparatus for taking periapical and bitewing radiographs for dental diagnostic purposes |
|
|
Dental hygiene practice (with no exclusion in taking extra-oral radiographs) |
Use of irradiating apparatus for taking extra-oral radiographs for dental diagnostic purposes |
|
|
Dental hygiene practice (with no exclusion in taking intra-oral radiographs) |
Use of irradiating apparatus for taking periapical and bitewing radiographs for dental diagnostic purposes |
|
|
Orthodontic auxiliary practice (with no exclusion in taking extra-oral radiographs) |
Use of irradiating apparatus for taking extra-oral radiographs for dental diagnostic purposes |
|
|
Orthodontic auxiliary practice (with no exclusion in taking intra-oral radiographs) |
Use of irradiating apparatus for taking periapical and bitewing radiographs for dental diagnostic purposes |
Source licences
The use licence exemptions do not replace the need for a source licence by any entity that possesses a radiation source. The Office of Radiation Safety is developing forms and other application processes for source licences, and will contact practitioners after March to advise the new requirements.
The fees for source licences depend on the frequency with which facilities are audited. Facilities with Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) are audited every two years, and the annual fee is $718 plus GST. Facilities that do not use CBCT are audited every five years, and the annual fee is $361 plus GST. Applicants for licences have the option of selecting a one, two or three-year licence period.
Can non-registered staff still take X-rays under the new Act?
The Council receive frequent questions about the legality and provisions associated with non-registered dental practice staff taking X-rays.
Section 21(4) of the new Radiation Safety Act allows for non-registered staff, who does not hold a use licence, to use the radiation source under the direct supervision of an authorised person. An authorised person in the dental practice would mean an oral health practitioner registered with a valid practising certificate in one of the scopes described in the table above.
Direct supervision is defined as “supervision by a person who is physically present and able to intervene”.
It is important to note that a practitioner may delegate the task of taking the X-ray, but not the responsibility.
Code of Practice for Dental Radiology under review
The Office of Radiation Safety has recently consulted on an updated draft Code of Practice for Dental Radiology to reflect changes to accepted radiation safety practice, and to reflect the new obligations set out in the Radiation Safety legislation.
The Council made a submission to the draft code for dentistry—the Council’s submission can be accessed here. The new Code of Practice for Dental Radiology is expected to be finalised by the end of February 2017 so that it can be in place when the new Act and Regulations come into force.